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Law enforcement officers (LEOs) in the U.S. are at an increased risk for homicide. The purpose of this study is to describe the characteristics of homicides of LEOs in 17 U.S. states participating in the National Violent Death Reporting System. This active surveillance system uses data from death certificates, coroner/medical examiner reports, and law enforcement reports.

Methods

This study used quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze National Violent Death Reporting System data for 2003–2013. Deaths of LEOs feloniously killed in the line of duty were selected for analysis. LEO homicides and the circumstances preceding or occurring during the incident were characterized. Analyses were conducted October 2015–June 2016.

Results

A total of 128 officer homicides from 121 incidents were identified. Most (93.7%) LEO victims were male, 60.9% were aged 30–49 years (average age, 40.9 years). Approximately 21.9% of LEOs were killed during an ambush, and 19.5% were killed during traffic stops or pursuits. Of the 14.1% of LEOs killed responding to domestic disturbances, most disturbances were intimate partner violence related. More than half (57.0%) of homicides were precipitated by another crime, and of these, 71.2% involved crimes in progress. Most suspects were male. Ninety-one percent of homicides of LEOs were committed with a firearm.

Conclusions

This information is critical to help describe encounter situations faced by LEOs. The results of this study can be used to help educate and train LEOs on hazards, inform prevention efforts designed to promote LEO safety, and prevent homicide among this population.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Safety Research.

Published:

September 1992

Series:

DHHS publication ; no. (NIOSH) 92-103

Description:

"A summary of the results of a conference on occupational homicide prevention, held in Washington, DC on July 23 to 24, 1990 was presented. Homicide was the third leading cause of occupational injury death from 1980 through 1985 in the United States....

Previous epidemiological research indicates that police officers have an elevated risk of death relative to the general population overall and for several specific causes. Despite the increased risk for mortality found in previous research, controver...

Objective : To describe the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). This is a surveillance system for monitoring the occurrence of homicides, suicides, unintentional firearm deaths, deaths of undetermined intent, and deaths from legal interv...